His Holiness Patriarch Kirill greets the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople with his Name Day

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church sent greetings to His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople with his Name Day. The text is given below.

His Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I

Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome

and Ecumenical Patriarch

Your Holiness,

beloved brother in the Lord and concelebrant at the Almighty’s Throne:

I congratulate you on the commemoration day of your heavenly patron, St. Bartholomew, apostle of Christ. The Holy Church commemorates him together with Apostle Barnabas, the founder and patron of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which I am visiting through God’s grace.

The ascetic lives of Ss Bartholomew and Barnabas have ended in different time and under different circumstances, but we commemorate them on one and the same day. The reality of the Kingdom of Christ unites human hearts in God despite individual particular features of people.

Fraternal contacts among the Primates, hierarchs, clergymen and laymen of the Holy Churches of God continue this reality of the Kingdom of God in history.

It is for the third time that the Holy Churches of Constantinople and Russia exchange delegations on the Name Days of their Primates as God is well disposed to our unity.

On this festive day, I share the joy of the hierarchs, cleric and the Christ-named plenitude of the Patriarchate of Constantinople who celebrate the Name Day of their Primate. I prayerfully wish Your Holiness abundant mercies from God, and the blessed spiritual and physical strength for the fruitful primatial ministry.

With brotherly love in the Lord,

+ KIRILL

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia